Tree Number Bonds

This is a ridiculously easy to set up maths activity that can be adapted in lots of different ways. It can become a simple counting exercise - counting the number of leaves that the adult has put on the tree or putting a given number of leaves on the tree. Or to make it more complicated it could be number bonds to 20.

Set Up

So when we went outside in the morning I set the girls the challenge to each collect 10 leaves. These leaves we then brought inside to use as part of this activity. I quickly then drew two simple trees for M on a piece of paper and one tree for F.

M had to arrange her leaves between the two trees in as many different ways as she could. Working out how many on each tree still made the total of 10. So if she put 8 on one tree how many were left to go on the other tree? With F I started by putting 2 leaves on the tree and asking F to count with me to find out how many leaves were on the tree.

M then started to write down the sums. And although some of her numbers are reversed or not quite formed correctly I did not focus on that at all. I was impressed she was using the correct mathematical symbols and her sums were great. She had persevered to find lots of different ways of making 10. I didn’t want to then focus on the handwriting aspect of it with her. A really easy maths challenge activity to try at home that really doesn’t need any set up.

We have since done this activity using the leaves from our April activity box. Repeating activities eaither in the same way or a slightly different way is great for cementing learning. Another easy way of cementing their learning is for them to explain to someone else how to do the activity. Maybe a parent, sibling or a relative via zoom!